by K.N. Lee
The two others sat quietly. I sighed and shook my head. “So, the elephant in the car, there’s no ill feelings or any shit like that regarding Jac. She made her choice.”
“She did,” Felix answered and remained quiet for a moment.
“Does it piss you off she didn’t take you with her?” Angelica asked.
I glanced in the mirror. She did not mean ill by her words, but they still stung. “Not really pissed, but more hurt.” I shrugged. “She left for reasons between her and Rowan.”
Felix nodded. “To save the world and shit. Yeah, big burden.”
I lifted a brow and glanced over to him. “You’re an ass.”
He chuckled. “I have a nice ass, doesn’t make me an ass.”
Angelica laughed. “You two are a bunch of bitches.”
“And what did I do to deserve that?” Felix asked.
“That’s harsh, babe,” I told her and looked over to Felix. “You are quite the bitch, though.”
“Fuck you both,” Felix announced and slugged my arm. “Fucker.”
“Pussy,” I said with a chuckle.
“Hey! I resemble that remark!”
Angelica laughed again. “Okay, you two. Enough with the drama. We have a witch to catch and a spell to break. Where do we start?”
“That seems to be the question of the day,” I mumbled under my breath. “Anyone we can chat with other than Adam?”
Angelica sat forward and placed her arms on either seat. “I might know someone who knows someone.”
Felix glanced over and chuckled. “Who do you know?”
“Banshee’s run in packs, similar to yours. So do witches and their covens. Let me make a few calls and see what I can churn up.”
Chapter 9
FELIX
We pulled up to a pier and parked the car. The sun would be down soon and this, our last night together, would be hard to accept. I did not want to shift for another month as a were. I wanted, no, needed to stay here with my trio. Feelings for Angelica were climbing higher by the second. Kai and I were on-board for making her ours. Tonight was the night to make it happen; me marking her and him claiming her.
Birds flew over and the water sloshed up on the dock. My arms crossed over my chest and I sighed. The wind blew my hair across my face. My chest ached and I knew why; soon I would be without her, and Kai would solely look after her. I knew he would be fine and would do an outstanding job at keeping her perfect, but I needed to be a part of it. I could not leave, not again, not like this.
Angelica stepped around and held her phone up. “Looks like I already have a lead.”
Pulling me from my thoughts, I glanced over to her and smiled. “That’s good, very good. And very fast. What do you know?”
Kai followed her around and he leaned against our ride. “Well,” she started and pulled her blonde hair behind her ears. The sun shone on her hair and a golden hue radiated from her strands. “Her coven is not too far from here. I would imagine we could drop by and pay them a visit, get information, let them in on what she did. According to what my contacts know, what she did is against their laws. She cannot push magic on innocents and expect it to be okay.”
I raised my brow. “I would not consider all of us innocents.”
“You know what I mean. You and the others did nothing to deserve this. Hell, Teach didn’t deserve this. An ass kicking? Yes. This type of punishment? Hell to the no.”
“So where do we find them?” Kai asked. She held her phone up with an address.
“I suggest we call first so we’re not showing up unannounced. It may appear as if we are coming to attack.”
I huffed. “Well, we kind of are.”
“And that would make us no different than witch bitch, would it?” she pointed out.
I nodded and lowered my gaze. “Angelica, I appreciate what you’re saying, but tonight,” I met her gaze, then looked to Kai. He nodded once and I returned it. I glanced back to her, “Tonight is it until the next full moon. And I’m basing that on a large assumption I won’t shift again until the next full moon.” Turning away from her, I headed toward the edge of the pier. “I’m tired of waiting and it is time to take a stand. We need this,” I looked over my shoulder to her, “I need this.”
She nodded and pressed a few keys. “Message has been sent requesting an audience. As soon as we hear back—”
“No,” Kai interrupted. “No waiting. We ride. Now. I’m with Felix on this. We go in, ask before shooting. If it’s not enough, we raid until we get answers.”
Angelica shoved her phone in her pocket. “Fine. Suit yourselves. I’m leaving.”
“What?” we both asked at the same time. Kai looked to me and we headed to Angelica.
“I’m not doing this,” she yelled back over her shoulder. “You are acting like a bunch of assholes.”
Jogging up to catch her, I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me. Holding her still, I leaned in. I felt my panther want to emerge and snarl, but I held him in. “You will not leave,” I growled. “You leave, so help me, I will throw you in the fucking trunk.”
Her eyes widened. “I dare you to try.” She raised her brow and pulled her arms loose. “You threaten me like that again? I’ll take your fucking soul.”
“Nice try,” I grumbled. “Now, listen to me. The magic, I can feel it. Tonight I shift back. I do not want to spend my last hours fighting with you because you think I’m acting like a bitch.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bitch is an understatement.”
“All right, children,” Kai spoke up. “You’ve both made your points. Can we please, for the sake of all things still in human form, kiss and make up so we can find this woman?”
Angelica pointed to me. “He started it.”
I chuckled. “Nice.”
“Well, you did!”
“She’s right,” Kai said.
“Fine. I’m sorry, satisfied?”
“Nope. I want you to grovel,” she said with a sadistic grin. The woman was evil and I loved it!
“I am not getting on my knees unless it is to have your pussy in my mouth.”
“Ooh, so tempting,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Angelica reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out. She pressed a few keys then looked up to both of us. “If we can stop playing who’s the bigger bitch, I have some news.”
“Okay?” I asked and stepped closer. “What is it?”
“I have the coven. They have agreed to meet with us. I was right. Apparently the magic she worked took a toll on them as well. Their ancestors they pull magic from are pretty upset.”
My brows raised. “The dead are pissed about magic?”
“Consecration?” she asked.
I shook my head, not understanding.
“In a nutshell, they have truly devoted themselves to their craft and pull magic from consecrated bones. By doing this, they can pull on the magic once ruled by their ancestors. So rather than the magic becoming lost in the world, they have figured out how to channel and use it.”
“So Tabby figured out how to use it on her own, and used it on us?” I asked.
She nodded. “Exactly.”
“And they want to help?” Kai asked. Angelica nodded. “Great. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
We drove across town to the Garden District. I suppose this did not surprise me. Witches tended to use natural elements around them, why not that of the earth? We pulled up to a house in a subdivision that looked to belong to Stepford Wives magazine.
Stepping out, I opened Angelica’s door and took her hand. “I am sorry,” I whispered as I took in the three-story home before us. The exterior was a country blue with off-white trim, the shutters cut in a heart shape. So stereotypical. And disgusting.
“I know you are, baby,” she told me. A kiss pecked on my cheek and I smiled, looking at her.
“Thank you.”
“And where’s mine?” Kai asked.
She grinned and waved him over. She kissed hi
s cheek and smiled. “Can we go in now?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Please keep yourself close to us, okay?”
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
Opening the white fence, we walked up the path to the front door and knocked. Footsteps sounded on what had to be a hardwood floor. A second later, the door opened to a slender woman on the other side, hair pulled in a bun on her head perfectly, and a business-style dress outfit. She looked as if she were headed out for a business conference. Or this was June Cleaver and we interrupted her cleaning her house. My money was on the latter.
“Hello, Matilda?” Angelica asked.
“Yes, that’s me,” Matilda said and stepped to the side. “Please, won’t you come in?”
“If it’s all the same to you,” I offered and squeezed Angelica’s hand, “can we talk out here on the porch?”
“Oh, sure,” Matilda said with a smile. “Allow me to grab my phone and a few pieces of information for you.” She left the door open as she stepped away.
I glanced to Kai and my friend raised a brow and shrugged. Moments later, Matilda returned. She pulled the door closed behind her and held a picture out.
She explained the image was Tabby in her true form. “She likes to pretend to be other people. She has a lot of natural abilities and honestly, between us? She abuses that privilege. We knew of her going to that filthy motorcycle club. None of us agreed with it.”
I growled under my breath. “What exactly is wrong with the club?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my stars, are you a member? I meant no disrespect. I do apologize.”
“Whatever,” I motioned with my hand for her to continue.
“Right. Well, we all knew she was off looking for a man. She was lonely and all that. Tragic really. Ever since her lover was killed, she just…I don’t know, she’s not been the same.”
“She lost her lover?” Angelica asked.
Matilda nodded. “Well, sort of. He tried to leave and she wouldn’t let him. So instead, she had him sent to the other side.”
“Other side?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes. The underworld. It is our world, but the underside of it. Think of it like purgatory but you’re still alive.”
I blinked. “How does one get to this underworld?”
“Oh!” Matilda said with her fingers pressed together, a smile spreading her lips, showing off perfectly white teeth. I briefly wondered how often she used the whitening strips. “My coven can help you with that. We believe she goes there on her own to torture that poor soul of a man she trapped.”
“Wow,” Angelica whispered. “If we were to go, how do we get back?”
“Oh easy, we’d pull you out.” Matilda then looked to me and took a step forward. “I am truly sorry for the spell she cast upon you and yours.”
“Can you remove it?” I was desperate. I needed this. If she could give it to me, I would be in her service till my dying day.
“Unfortunately, no. It has to be her to do it. Magic cannot counteract magic. We would be making one spell worse, or deadly.” She shook her head. “I cannot do that, I’m sorry.”
“It didn’t hurt to ask,” Kai said as he gripped my shoulder. “So, how do you get us into this underworld?”
Matilda smiled, a legit twinkle in her eyes. I wanted to roll mine, but instead, I listened. “Will you come inside? I have a back porch we can do this on.”
I nodded and looked to Kai and Angelica. Kai nodded and Angelica shrugged, followed up with, “Why not?”
We stepped inside and Matilda led the way. With a snap of her finger, the door closed and lights ignited on the walls. Now that is a cool trick.
“I need to call my coven to aid us in your quest. Please, wait for me out here.” Matilda opened a door and on the other side looked to what could only be explained as a sitting room with a swing, air conditioner, and a large old book. The pages were darkened and I wondered if this was some sort of spell book. “Please, have a seat,” she told us as she left the room.
Taking a seat on the swing, I rested my elbows on my knees. What now? Do we wait? What happens when her coven is here? Do we physically go to this underworld? Do our minds?
“Okay, they are on their way!” Matilda told us a moment later.
“What? How?” Angelica asked.
“Our minds are linked. When I need them, I simply call,” she tapped her temple.
“Creepy,” Angelica said and looked to Kai. “I would not want to be in your head or his,” she motioned with her thumb to me.
“Wow, thanks, babe,” I told her playfully.
Moments later, women began walking into the room. I glanced up and stood, then took my place next to Angelica and Kai.
Matilda explained what Tabby did, what the outcome of the pack was, and her being in the underworld. “We need to send them there to fetch our Tabby and bring her back.”
“Agreed,” spoke a woman with red hair. Like Matilda, she looked like she walked off the runway for Stepford Weekly. “Whatever she has done, we are all so very sorry. We promise, we’ll make this right.”
Matilda nodded. “Yes, indeed. I plan on stripping Tabby of her powers and binding her. She can no longer do this to anyone else ever again.”
“Well, may be too little too late, but hey, we’ll take what we can get,” Angelica said.
Matilda joined her coven in a circle and the women joined hands. They lowered their heads and began to chant something I did not quite understand. The temperature dropped in the room drastically and I shivered. Angelica stepped closer to me and I wrapped my arms around her; Kai did the same behind her.
“We’ve got you darling,” I whispered and kissed her forehead.
I’m not sure how much time passed, but it seemed to happen quickly. A door appeared, or something like a door. It shimmered in the air at first until it solidified. A brass handle sat on one side, hinges on the other. Oddly enough it was not attached to anything so I could not understand the metal brackets but I was not one to ask these sorts of questions.
Matilda looked over her shoulder to us. “You may enter in, just you three. All three may leave, but things are not the same there as they are here. What you know may be different there. Take charge of your mind and do not let false images invade your spirit.
“What the hell does that even mean?” Kai asked.
“Trust in yourself and you’ll be just fine. Call to me when you’re ready to return and we’ll open the door for you on this side.” She paused for a moment, then continued. “Are you ready?”
I glanced to Kai, then down to Angelica. They both nodded, as did I. “Yes, we’re ready.”
“Then go and Godspeed!”
I blinked and slowly released Angelica. Crossing the room, I reached for the handle. The brass felt cool to the touch, like any other doorknob would. I was not sure what I should have expected. Heat? Cold? Nothing?
Giving it a gentle turn and tug, the door opened. On the other side was nothing but blackness. I glanced back to Angelica. Holding out my hand she took it, her other hand in Kai’s. One by one we passed through, then the door closed.
Chapter 10
ANGELICA
The door closed behind us. There was no light of any sort, just blackness. My hands squeezed theirs and my heart beat loud in my ear. Fear grew expeditiously inside me. I started to feel shortness of breath and my panic grew.
“Felix? Kai?”
“We’re here,” Kai said in a soft voice. “I don’t like this at all.”
“Are you good?” Felix asked. I held onto a were-panther in one hand that could at any time shift, and an Oni demon in the other. Which was worse in this situation? One could rip me apart, the other could absorb my soul and damn me.
Again, which is worse in this scenario? I swallowed hard. “Are you two going to be okay? I can’t do this on my own. I need both of you.” My voice cracked at the end and I inhaled a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
“Yes, I’m holding just fine.” Okay,
that was Kai.
“Felix?” Silence, and it disturbed me on a grand level. “Goddammit, Felix, talk to me!”
“I’m fine. Stop talking. I’m trying to listen.”
We did not move. Nothing touched us, or blew by us, or anything. It was as if we walked into a void of nothingness.
“There!” he said in a raised whisper. “Over there!” He began to walk and pulled me, in which I pulled Kai. I did not dare let go for fear of being lost to this nothing. This is what it would be like being lost to outer space with no aircraft or cord to bring you back.
And the panic started again.
“Shh,” Kai whispered. “I’ve got you, baby. Nothing will happen to you. Not while we’re here.”
I nodded, not that either of them could see me. As we made our way forward…maybe backward? Felix squeezed my hand. “I found a wall.” I heard a familiar sound of hand against wall as if you were searching for a light switch.
“Anything to turn on lights?” I asked.
“Not that I can find yet,” he said in a soft voice. “But wait…here’s something.” I heard what sounded like a lighter, then a flame ignited.
“A candle?” Kai asked. Felix brought the flame forward and the orange of the light illuminated his face.
“Here, take this,” he told me and handed me the candle. “There’s a few more.” He turned away and when he came back, he had two more. He lit one and handed it to Kai, then lit the other. “Don’t go far, but see what you can find in this room, maybe figure out where we are.”
I was not one to openly say I’m scared of the dark, but right then? Fuck that. I was fucking scared as hell. What if I tripped over a body? Fell into a pit? Got snatched by something?
“Hell no,” I growled. “One of you will stay with me, or we stay together. I’m not playing who gets captured and killed first!”
“I’m with her,” Kai said. “This, whatever it is, isn’t right. Something is off.”
“Yeah, it’s our underworld, remember?” Felix barked.